This invention relates generally to article dispensing systems and more particularly to an improved system and method for dispensing lottery tickets.
State sponsored lotteries are now a popular and accepted method of generating revenue and providing entertainment. One popular form of lottery uses an instant lottery ticket on which winning or non-winning combinations are pre-printed before distribution and the player knows immediately after purchasing the ticket whether or not it is a winning ticket. A common system for distributing these and other types of lottery tickets utilizes ticket dispensing machines located at drug stores, supermarkets, convenience stores and the like. Common concerns associated with such lottery ticket dispensing machines are the speed with which they dispense the tickets, the security or anti-theft characteristics of the dispenser and the ability to accurately and consistently dispense the appropriate number of tickets sold from each machine.
Due to the popularity of the instant lottery ticket games and the advantage of minimizing clerical involvement with the purchasing and dispensing of instant lottery tickets, commonly a large number of tickets are stored within the dispensing machine. Presently, tickets are commonly stored in a fanfold form in stacks so that they may be rapidly fed out from a storage compartment without the risk of unintentionally dispensing too many tickets as is common when individual tickets are stored and dispensed from the machine. However, the fanfold tickets must be separated by the machine prior to being dispensed. The mechanism to separate the fanfold tickets from one another should ensure that the separation of the tickets occurs only at the joinder line between the tickets despite whatever variations in the size of tickets and slippage or inaccuracy in the dispensing mechanism may be present.
A problem associated with the dispensing of lottery tickets stored in a fanfold stream is how to ensure that each ticket as it becomes the leading ticket will be separated from the next following ticket precisely along the joinder line between the tickets. In such a fanfold stream, a line of weakness such as a perforation line is provided to define each ticket and to permit fanfolding of the stream of connected tickets. Commonly, each fold in the ticket stack contains a single ticket but in alternative embodiments, a number of tickets for example five or more may be provided within each fold. Lottery tickets conventionally are constructed from laminated layers of paper or cardboard and as such are relatively stiff and inflexible.
The perforations or lines of weakness between the individual tickets are not uniformly formed such that a greater force may be required to separate one line of weakness than another line of weakness in the same fanfold stream. Tickets are manufactured with varying degrees of perforation quality. Some have tough perforations while some perforations are easily separated. Perforation quality varies greatly due to a number of variables including, the ticket printing company, ticket stock, ticket coatings and the like. Aside from these variables, perforation quality can still vary within the same ticket stack. The consistency of ticket perforations vary not only from company to company but also from game to game provided by the same manufacturer.
Successful prior art solutions to the problems of consistently and reliably separating the tickets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,982,337 and 5,836,498, each of which are assigned to the assignee of this invention and hereby incorporated by reference.
Lottery ticket dispensing machines are commonly located at the point of sale or a checkout counter at the retail establishment to stimulate impulse ticket sales and convenient access to the ticket dispenser by the store clerk. In many ticket dispensers, a clear or transparent window is provided to view the tickets in the dispenser available for purchase. Providing such visible access to the potential purchaser increases ticket sales and revenue. However, due to the variety of sizes and configurations of lottery tickets and the associated fanfold stacks sold and dispensed from the machines, lottery ticket vendors have found it difficult to conveniently position each stack of lottery tickets in the dispenser for optimum visibility and viewing. Preferably, each stack of tickets should be positioned adjacent to the transparent front of the ticket dispensing machine for easy viewing and optimum exposure in the machine.
One prior art solution to the apparent conflicting objectives of providing maximum visual exposure to variously sized tickets and reliable and consistent processing and separating of the tickets during dispensing is to position a roller relative to the ticket storage compartment. The fanfold ticket strip is trained around the roller as the tickets are pulled from the stack and advanced toward the separating mechanism and dispensing slot of the machine. Commonly, the roller is positioned adjacent the front of the dispensing machine in an effort to ensure exposure and visibility of the tickets as they pass over the roller. However, because of the tortuous path the tickets must traverse from the storage compartment and around the roller to the dispensing slot, frequently the perforated joint between the adjacent tickets is weakened, damaged or prematurely burst. This presents significant problems with accurately, consistently and reliably separating the tickets in prior dispensing machines.
Therefore, a need exists for a dispensing machine particularly for lottery tickets which provides for optimum visibility of variously sized tickets stored in the machine and preferably adjacent a front transparent panel of the machine while still maintaining the integrity of the perforated joint joining adjacent tickets together to achieve a consistent and reliable separation of the tickets during the dispensing process.